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Death Penalty for Street Racing? China Cracks Down

Racing on the street is a pretty serious offense most places in the U.S., but nothing like the harsh sentence possible under new legal standards in China.

According to a story on the Visor Down website, street racing in China can now lead to a seven year prison sentence, or even the death penalty! According to the article, the critical question is whether the racing activity was “detrimental to the public.”

While we don’t condone or endorse street racing, this seems a bit draconian to us.

too many victims of street racing have received a irrevocable death sentence withuot trial or jury.
really can’t blame China authorities.
and yes i was a crotch rocketeer and moto-crosser. went way too fast way too many times and got lucky way too many times to count while riding on public property.

Too many people have received “a irrevocable death sentence withuot trial or jury” due to people on cell phones, people who are too tired, people who are too stupid to drive, people who are too old or young to drive responsibly. I vote for death sentences for those people too, I don’t care if they caused an accident or not. Caught driving too old to pay attention, pay with your life.

Seriously though – it’s not safe. It’s stupid. Admitted. But you whiney, angry people crack me up. What is it about the fact that a guy rides a motorcycle that makes him more disposable than the same guy in a pickup truck? Why aren’t you ranting about truck drivers killing people, or women talking on their cellphones killing people, or inattentive people killing old people while goofing around with the radio?

THis article is hyperbole and click-bait. How many riders have actually been executed for street racing? Not for vehicular homicide, but for, like the headline says “racing”? None.

Take a breath, and head on over the the newest, hyper-expensive, hyper-sexy Ducati page and turn that frown upside down.

i agree…when i read the headline i thought the same…scare tactic. will they
ever put some to death?
i imagine in an eye for an eye situation maybe??!!
i looooooovvvvvvveddddddd ripping around with a bunch of other riders doing 250-270 kph in my city or anyone else’s city town hamlet…whatever. it was fun and i/bike(s) came away relatively un-scathed.
when i started street road racing lot’s of the experienced riders had a “i knew, or was riding with, so and so when he hit a sign pole and decapitated himself. his head was still sitting inside his helmet 50 feet away from body.
not all same decap story but lot’s of serious death/injury stories.
most stories about rider’s death.injury none tooo much about pedestrian death/injury but we only have a few months riding here in the north

here if you pull over or they catch up to you sitting having a pop at the A&W they will immediately impound the bike. your summer is done unless you get another bike. the bike is impounded until court date and court date is never right away. also you get to pay 2-3 months of impound fees and towing bill. never mind the huge arse fines and demerits.
i/we never pulled over.
i live i am now subject to a “distracted driving” legislation. i believe all the examples you posted are covered and fine-able under the law.

More than 89,000 killed on China’s roads in 2006
Xinhua, Jan. 2, 2007 – The number of road traffic deaths in China was 89,455 in 2006, 9.4 percent fewer than that in 2005, and the first time below the 90,000-benchmark since 2000, according to the Ministry of Public Security. “The country recorded 378,781 traffic accidents in 2006, down 15.9 percent year on year,” said a ministry spokesman on Monday. The 38 major traffic accidents – accidents with more than ten fatalities each – resulted in 558 deaths, dropping 30.9 percent from 2005. It was the lowest number of major accidents since 1991, he said. According to an analytical report, about 130 million violations of traffic rules by drivers last year led to more than 76,000 deaths, down 16 percent, among which the death toll from speeding, fatigue and drunk driving went down 24 percent from the previous year.

I am sure many more vehicles are on the roads in China today than 6 years ago, death rate likely be higher.

If someone in my family were killed or permanently seriously disabled by some self serving clown racing a motorcycle in a public place, I too would likely want to kill him myself. Its nicer when that job is taken off your hands by the authorties.

My question, why do we protect these azz-holes? How does that make our society better than theirs, in that respect?

@TC2wheel, Chinas’ 2011 population is 1.347 billion. Your point still remains valid. Life there is often short, brutal and harsh. Tens of millions have died from starvation in the past or from political repression. Be ever so grateful if you live in a free country.

Whilst there may be lots of little bikes in China, there are also a lot of big and very fast cars in China. Consider for a moment that China is the biggest market for Porsche Cayenne, and the third biggest market for Porsche across all models. Ducati has entered the Chinese market and is making massive sales there. Spend a night in Shanghai on the Bund and watch the Ferraris, Rolls Royces and Bugattis (of they Veyron variety) coast by and you will realise that your image of the pathetic little Chinese fellow on his smoky 25cc 2stroke is about as current as that of the intrepid, pioneering Yank.

And how many Chinese own fast sport bikes. In Malaysia I saw a pair of hot-rodded 50cc scooters drag racing. I wonder if that counts? How is “street racing” interpreted in China, side by side racing? Aggressive pass in traffic?

to me and you would not mean much (even if my very friendly good next door meighbor or one of their kids dies means very little to me honestly). but to the family of that one victim likely different story.
not sure but isn’t China people only allowed one child?